Well tool



Patented Sept. 2l, 1943 omiso STATES PATENT yOrmel;

WELL TOOL John T. Phipps, Huntington Park, Calif.

Application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,702

6 Claims.

This invention relates to anchoring devices for engaging a well casing and holding tools aS- sociated with the device, and is particularly useful in connection with fishing operations, although some features of the invention have numerous other applications.

A broad object of the invention is to facilitate fishing operations in a well, particularly by preventing return movement of a fish between successive lifting blows applied to the fish by means of a jar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practicable anchoring device for insertion in a string between a fishing tool and a jar positioned thereabove, for preventing retraction of the fish and shing tool between blows of the jar, while permitting free upward movement of the fishing tool and fish.

A more specific object is to provide an anchoring device as specified in the preceding paragraphs that can be readily rendered active or inactive from the top of the wall.

Another object is to provide. an effective slip mechanism for general use irl various different well tools, such as spears, anchors, catchers and the like.

Other more specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following particular description of a particular embodiment thereof as illustrated in the drawing.

Briefly, the invention consists of a tool adapted to be inserted between a fishing tool and a jar thereabove, and having slips that can be selectively released or locked. The slips, when released, engage with the casing and prevent any downward movement of the tool itself or the fishing tool connected thereto, while at the same time offering no resistance to upward movement with respect to the casing.

In operation, the device functions to maintain a constant lift on the fish between blows of the jar, particularly during the momentary release of the jar immediately prior to striking the n blow, and retains any upward movement of the fish resulting from the jarring action. In other words, the tool eliminates any possibility of the fish settling back between blows of the jar.

The need for a tool of this type has been recognized for a long time, but to the best of my knowledge no structure has ever heretofore been suggested that would satisfy the existing conditions. Thus an essential requirement of such a tool is that it must have a control mechanism for selectively locking or releasing the slips at any time by predetermined movements of the drill string from the surface.

The structure in accordance with the present invention satisfies this requirement, while at the same time being extremely simple, rugged and reliable.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a device in accordance with the invention positioned in a tool string between a jar and a fishing socket, in a well casing;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the major portion of a tool, in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the upper part of the tool; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are cross sections taken in the planes IV-IV, V-V and VI--VI, respectively, of Fig. 2.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is disclosed a cased well having a casing i and a fish 2 stuck in the bottom thereof, the fish being a length of tubing. 'Ihe fish 2 is shown engaged by a fishing socket 3 which may be any one of many well-known types, since its particular construction is not material in connection with the present invention. j

The fishing socket 3 is connected by a section of drill string ll which may be several hundred feet in length, to a lower end member 5 of the tool 6 of the present invention. An upper end member 'l of the tool 6 is secured by the usual tool joint to the lower end of a jar 8 which may be any one of the many well-known types. The upper end of the jar is in turn secured to the lower end of a string of tubing 9 extending to the surface.

In the setup disclosed in Fig. 1, after the fish 2 has been engaged by the fishing socket 3, the tubing string 9 is successively lifted t0 trip the jar 8, causing the latter to apply lifting blows through the tool 6 and the tubing 4 to the fishing socket 3. The result of these blows, when the operation is successful, is to lift the fish a certain distance in response to each upward blow delivered by the jar. Unfortunately, however, in order to repeatedly actuate most jars, the tension on the tool string above the jar must be relaxed fol lowing each blow of the jar, to reset the jar. Furthermore, at the moment of release of the jar, all tension on the fish is momentarily released. This permits the fish to settle back down in the hole following each blow, in many instances greatly prolonging the time required to greatly facilitated.

remove the fish, and occasionally preventing its removal.

However, the specialtool 8, in accordance with the present invention. is provided with slips IIl 1 which can be caused to engage the casing I and anchor the tool against downward movement. while permitting free upward movement. Therefore each time the ilsh is lifted in response to a blow of the jar, the tool 8 lifts also and its slips I then re-engage the casing to prevent retraction of the fish when the tension on the string 8 is relieved to reset the Jar. In this way all lift obtained on the fish is retained and its removal As shown in Fig. 1, a length of tubing 4 is inserted between the holding'tool 8 and the shing tool 8. This is not essential, but it is sometimes desirable for the reason that a section of tubing several hundred feet in length has suincient elasticity to maintain a constant pull on the fish from the holding tool 8 which facilitates the movement of the fish when the jarring blow is applied.

-The detail construction of the holding tool 8 will'now be described with reference to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 6. The upper end member 1 is secured to the upper end of a mandrel II which extends downwardly for a substantial distance and has at its lower end a plurality of downwardly extending lands or ridges I2 which are slidable in grooves I3 between lands I4 in a main sleeve I5, which is secured at its lower end to the lower end member 5. The lands I2 and I4 are relatively short and the main sleeve I5 has a cylindrical inner surface below the lands 4 so that if the mandrel is lowered to carry the lands I2 thereon out of engagement with the lands I4 in the sleeve, the mandrel is freely rotatable with respect to the sleeve.

The mandrel is constantly urged into uppermost position with respect to the main sleeve by a helical compression spring I6 compressed between the lower end of the mandrel and the lower end member 5.

'Ihe main sleeve I5 is adapted to be supported from the well casing I by the slips I0. To this end, a plurality of slip reins I1 are engaged with the main sleeve I 5 adjacent its upper end. In the particular design shown, four slips and four reins are provided. Each rein I1 has a block portion I8 at its lower end, which fits loosely within a window I9 in the main shell, the outer surface of the block portion I8 being approximately flush with the outer surface of the sleeve. Connected to the block portion I8 is a shank portion 20 which extends upwardly from the block in a groove provided therefor in the inner surface of the main sleeve to a point substantially level with the upper end of the sleeve. Thereabove the shank merges into a slip seat portion 2| which extends upwardly and outwardly at a slight angle.

Referring to Fig. 4, each slip seat 2| is provided with a dovetail groove 22 therein which receives a dovetail tongue 23 on the associated slip I0 so that the slip is free to move longitudinally on the slip'seat 2| but is restrained against lateral movement away from the seat.

To set the slips, a cone 24 is slidably mounted on the mandrel II above the main sleeve, this cone being adapted to bear against the rear surfaces of the slip seats 2|, which constitute in- 'tegral portions of the slip reins I1. The cone 24 is formed integral with a sleeve section 25 extending thereabove and loosely engaging the mandrel II. The sleeve 25 is provided with the usual bow springs 25 for frictionally engaging the casing and also has a pair of diametrically opposite bayonet slots 21 cooperating with a pair of pins 28 on the mandrel. The sleeve 25 and cone 24 are constantly urged downwardly with respect to the mandrel, when not restrained by engagement of the pin 28 in the lower ends of the bayonet slot 21, by a helical compression spring 29 surrounding the upper end of the mandrel and compressed between the upper end of the sleeve 25 and the upper end member 1.

It is desirable that the slip seats 2| be urged inwardly at all times to prevent the slips from accidentally engaging the casing when engagement is not desired. To this end, helical compression springs 30 are mounted in recesses provided in the rear surfaces of the block portions I8 of the reins I1, these springs constantly urging the lower ends of the reins radially outwardly and causing them to fulcrum against the inside surfaces 8I of the main sleeve, thereby urging the slip seat portions 2| of the reins inward into engagement with the cone 24.

As shown in the drawing, the pins 28 are in the vertical portions of the bayonet slots 21 so that the spring 29 is effective to urge the cone 24 downwardly relative to the mandrel. Therefore the main sleeve I5 is supported against downward movement by the reins I1 which are wedged between the slips I0 and the cone 24. It should be noted that the upper end of the dovetail groove 23 in each rein is closed, as indicated at 23 in Fig. 2. so that if the frictional grip of the slips I0 and the cone 24 is insuilicient to prevent downward movement of the slip seat 2|, the end wall 23 will eventually positively engage the upper end of the slip, thereby positively preventing any further downward movement of the rein relative to the slip. Ordinarily the slip seat 2| is frictionally locked between the slips and the cones before the slips contact the end wall 23 of the slip seat.

I have found it advantageous to mount the slips III slidably on the slip rein, as disclosed, since it increases the downward wedging force on the slip, thereby making the bite of the slip into the casing more positive.

In the position shown in Fig. 2, the holding tool resists any downward movement of the main sleeve I5. Likewise ordinary downward forces applied to the mandrel I I through the upper end member 1, are resisted by the springs I8 and 29, which function jointly under the conditions described to resist downward motion of the mandrel. However, ifthe lifting force applied to the mandrel (as by a blow delivered by the jar) exceeds the downward force, the whole device is free to move upwardly in the casing because the slips I0 are free to slide inwardly and downwardly along their seats 2|. But when the upward movement terminates, and the dei-'ice starts down again, the slips I0 immediately slide upwardly iid outwardly along the seats 2| to grip the cas- A most important feature of my construction is that it is possible to render the slips I0 inoperative to engage the casing at any time. Thus with the slips set as shown in Fig. 2, if the operator wishes tov disengage the slips and prevent further engagement of them, he has merely to move the string 8 (Fig. l) downwardly with suillcient force to compress the springs 28 and I8 and move the mandrel II downwardly with respect to the cone 24 and the main sleeve I5 until the pins 2-8 are in the lower ends of the slots 21, whereupon the string is rotated through a small angle to the left to engage the pins in the lateral recesses 21 (Fig. 3) of the bayonet slots after which the string 9 (Fig. 1) is again lifted to re-elevate the mandrel Il. During this upward movement, of course the pins 28 carry' the cone 24 with them, maintaining the spring 29 compressed. The upward movement of the cone 24 releases the slips I Il from the casing and they drop inwardly and downwardly along the slip seats 23 until they are completely clear of the casing. Thereafter the tubing string may move either upwardly or downwardly through the casing without engaging the slips I because the cone 24 is locked in uppermost position by the pins 28 and the recesses 21'.

However, the slips may lbe rendered effective again at anytime by merely rotating the tubing string and the mandrel I I to the right to disengage the pins 28 from the recesses 21 of the bayonet slot. As soon as the pins enter the longitudinal sections of the slots, the spring 29 becomes effective to force the cone 24 down into position to wedge the slips I0 outwardly into eng'agement with the casing and restore the apparatus into the condition shown in Fig. 2.

As previously indicated, the spring I-6 is relatively stiff and normally maintains the lands I2 and I4 on the mandrel and the main sleeve, respectively, in interengaging position, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position any rotation of the mandrel is transferred to the main sleeve 'I 5 and thence through the lower end member 5. This permits manipulation of tools below the holding tool 6, which may require rotary movement.

On the other hand, by forcing the mandrel downwardly with respect to the main sleeve I against the force of spring I6, the lands I2 and I4 may be disengaged to permit rotation of the mandrel to engage or disengage the pins 28 in the bayonet recesses 21' even ithough the main sleeve I5 is locked against rotation either by the slips I0 or by something connected thereto from below.

Under some conditions, the lower spring I5 may be eliminated, but it may then be desirable to make the string 29 heavier.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various departues from the exact construction shown can be made without departing from the invention, which is to be limited only as set forth in the appended cliaims.

I claim:

1. A device of the type described, adapted to be inserted in a tool string in a cased well, comprising: upper and lower members adapted to be connected to upper and lower sections, respectively, of the tool string, means interconnecting said upper and lower members, slip means connected to said lower member for vertical movement therewith, and for radial movement with respect thereto, to engage the well casing and support said lower member from the casing, means movable to set and release said slip means, and means for moving said setting and releasing means in response to predetermined movements of said upper member relative to the casing, said setting and releasing means including a wedging member movable downwardly for setting said slip Imeans, spring means for urging said wedging means downward with respect to said upper member, and means responsive to predetermined movement of said upper member for releasably locking said wedging memvber against movement by said spring means.

2. A device of the type described, adapted to be inserted in a tool string in a cased well, comprising: upper and lower members adapted to be connected to upper and lower sections, respectively, of the string, slip means connected to said lower member and engageable with the well casing to support said lower member on the casing, wedging means movable to set and release said slips, means for selectively locking said wedging means to said upper member for movement therewith, while at its upper limit of movement with respect to said upper member, means interconnecting said upper and lower i members and providing limited lost motion therebetween, and spring means yieldably urging said lower member downward with respect to said upper member, whereby said upper member is movable, by yielding of said spring means, into said'position to lock with said wedging member even when fthe latter is in its lower, slip-setting position with respect to said lower member.

3. A device as described in claim 2, with spring means yieldably urging said wedging member downward with respect to said upper member.

4. A device ias described in claim 2, with springs means urging said wedging member downward with respect to said upper member, and means on said wedging member for frictionally engaging the casing.

5. In a device of the type described, a body member movable in a casing, a rein for supporting said body member and extending upwardly and outwardly at an angle, a slip slidably mounted for longitudinal movement on said rein, andwedge means operable directly against said rein for indirectly urging said slip against the casing.

6. In a device of the type described, a mandrel, a sleeve on the mandrel having recesses therein, slip reins extending vertically between said mandrel and sleeve and extending outwardly into said recesses to interlock said reins and sleeve for vertical movement together, slip means associated with said reins, wedglng means back of said slips, and spring means between said mandrel and the lower ends of said reins for yieldably deiiecting the upper ends of the reins inwardly.

JOHN T. P HIPPS. 

